Elevator arrangement

Abstract

Elevator device. Provided is an elevator device in which it is advantageous to perform safety monitoring using a door-open travel protection device even in the presence of a transmission delay of a signal. The elevator device is provided with: a door opening / closing detection device that detects an opening / closing state of a door of an elevator; a braking device that brakes travel of a car of the elevator; and a door-open travel protection device that, in a case where a signal of the opening / closing state serially transmitted from the door opening / closing detection device is a signal indicating an open state of the door and the car position deviates from a range of a door-open permission area that permits the open state of the door, transmits a braking instruction signal for stopping the car to the braking device. The door-open travel protection device is configured to variably set the range of the door-open permission area in accordance with a car speed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to an elevator device having a door-open travel protection device that prevents door-open travel of a car. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the existing elevator system, a detection device is used to detect the car speed, the movement amount of the car, and the floor reference position. The safety controller compares the detection result of the detection device with an abnormality determination threshold value of the car speed set for the car position, thereby determining the door-open travel abnormality. Further, the safety controller calculates a stop reference position for the car stop floor and a determination distance between the stop reference position and the car position. The abnormality determination threshold value is set such that the greater the determination distance, the smaller the value.

[0003] PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

[0004] PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-139106 SUMMARY

[0006] Consider a case where the opening / closing state of the car door is acquired by means of functional safety communication prescribed by, for example, International Standard IEC 61784-3. In this case, mutual verification of the contents received in two systems that are independent as a double system is required, and multiple transmission is also required for the purpose of improving reliability, and thus there is a concern that the transmission delay of the closing switch of the car door becomes large to the extent that it cannot be ignored in terms of safety monitoring. In this case, the opening / closing timing of the closing switch is transmitted with a delay from the actual timing, and thus there is a concern that safety action cannot be performed at the appropriate timing. In the technology of the above-described Patent Document 1, the influence of such signal transmission delay is not considered.

[0007] The present application has been achieved in order to solve the above-described problems, and aims to provide an elevator device in which, in an elevator having a door-open travel protection device, it is advantageous to perform safety monitoring using the door-open travel protection device even in the presence of signal transmission delay.

[0008] The elevator device of the present application includes a door opening / closing detection device that detects the opening / closing state of the door of the elevator, a braking device that brakes the travel of the car of the elevator, and a door-open travel protection device that, in a case where a signal of the opening / closing state transmitted in series from the door opening / closing detection device is a signal indicating the open state of the door and the car position deviates from the range of a door-open permission area that permits the open state of the door, transmits a braking instruction signal for stopping the car to the braking device. The door-open travel protection device is configured to variably set the range of the door-open permission area in accordance with the car speed.

[0009] Inventive Effects

[0010] According to the elevator device of the present application, the range of the door-open permission area is set in accordance with the car speed. Therefore, it is possible to make the influence of the car speed variation during the transmission delay period included in the judgment of whether the car position deviates from the range of the door-open permission area. Thus, it is possible to provide an elevator control device which is advantageous in safety monitoring using the door-open travel protection device even in the case where there is a signal transmission delay. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of an elevator device 100 of an embodiment of the present application.

[0012] Figure 2 is a diagram showing an outline of a door-open permission area of a comparative example.

[0013] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an outline of a door-open permission area of an embodiment of the present application.

[0014] Figure 4 is a timing chart showing various states of the car in the case where the door-open travel is detected.

[0015] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the braking distance and the distance that should be ensured in the case where the car 14 is subjected to the door-open travel in the upward direction.

[0016] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a routine of the processing executed in the door-open travel protection device 50 of the embodiment of the present application.

[0017] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a modification example of the hardware resources of the door-open travel protection device 50.

[0018] REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0019] 2: shaft; 4: traction machine; 6: drive sheave; 8: braking device; 10: deflector; 12: suspension body; 16: counterweight; 20: car door; 22: landing door; 24: detected component; 26: landing position detector; 30: speed governor; 32: speed governor sheave; 34: speed governor rope; 38: tension pulley; 40: car movement amount detector; 50: door-open travel protection device; 52: car door closing switch; 54: landing door closing switch; 56: safety communication path; 60: control device; 100: elevator device; 502: processor; 504: storage device; 506: dedicated hardware; 508: processing circuit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] Embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the same reference numbers will be applied to common elements throughout the drawings, and repeated description will be omitted.

[0021] Embodiments

[0022] 1. Structure of elevator device

[0023] Figure 1 is a structural view showing the structure of an elevator device 100 according to an embodiment of the present application. In Figure 1 , a hoisting machine 4 is provided at the upper portion of a hoistway 2. The hoisting machine 4 has a drive sheave 6, a hoisting machine motor not shown that rotates the drive sheave 6, and a pair of braking devices 8 that brake the rotation of the drive sheave 6.

[0024] A deflector sheave 10 is provided at the upper portion of the hoistway 2 at a spacing apart from the drive sheave 6. A suspension body 12 is hung on the drive sheave 6 and the deflector sheave 10. As the suspension body 12, a plurality of ropes or a plurality of belts are used.

[0025] One end of the suspension body 12 is connected to a car 14. The other end of the suspension body 12 is connected to a counterweight 16. The car 14 and the counterweight 16 are suspended in the hoistway 2 by means of the suspension body 12. The car 14 and the counterweight 16 are caused to ascend and descend in the hoistway 2 by rotating the drive sheave 6. The braking devices 8 brake the travel of the car 14 by braking the rotation of the drive sheave 6.

[0026] A car door 20 that opens and closes a car entrance and exit is mounted on the front surface of the car 14. A landing door 22 that opens and closes a landing entrance and exit is provided at the landing of each of a plurality of landing floors. The car door 20 and the landing door 22 are doors of an elevator. A car door closing switch 52 for detecting the opening and closing state of the car door 20 is provided at the car door 20. Further, a landing door closing switch 54 for detecting the opening and closing state of the landing door 22 is provided at the landing door 22. The car door closing switch 52 and the landing door closing switch 54 output an "ON" signal in the door closed state and an "OFF" signal in the door open state. The car door closing switch 52 and the landing door closing switch 54 are also referred to as "door opening and closing detection devices".

[0027] A detected member 24 of a floor reference position is provided in the hoistway 2. The detected member 24 need not be provided at all floors, or can be provided at a position other than the floor surface. In Figure 1 , one is illustrated for each of the landing door 22 and the detected member 24.

[0028] The detected member 24 is disposed at a position corresponding to a releveling region of the corresponding floor. The releveling region here refers to a region used when releveling operation of the car 14 is performed. The releveling region is set to the same range as a door opening permission region which is a region in which the car 14 is permitted to open the door, or a range smaller than the door opening permission region. A stop floor position detector 26 is provided above the car 14. The stop floor position detector 26 functions to determine the absolute position of the car 14 within the shaft 2 by detecting the detected member 24. The stop floor position detector 26 and the detected member 24 are examples of a "car state detector" which detects the absolute position or the amount of movement of the car 14.

[0029] The signals of the car door closed switch 52 and the landing door closed switch 54 and the signal of the stop floor position detector 26 are serially transmitted to the door opening travel protection device 50 via a safety communication path 56. The safety communication path 56 is a functional safety communication specified by the international standard IEC 61784-3. The safety communication path 56 performs mutual checking of the contents received in two systems which are independent as a double system, and performs multiple transmission for the purpose of improving reliability. Therefore, the signals of the car door closed switch 52 and the landing door closed switch 54 are subject to a transmission delay before being received by the door opening travel protection device 50. Details of the door opening travel protection device 50 will be described later.

[0030] A speed limiter 30 is provided at the upper portion of the shaft 2. The speed limiter 30 has a speed limiter sheave 32. A speed limiter rope 34 is wound around the speed limiter sheave 32. The speed limiter rope 34 is laid in a loop shape within the shaft 2, and is connected to the car 14. In addition, the speed limiter rope 34 is wound around a tension pulley 38 disposed at the lower portion of the shaft 2.

[0031] The speed limiter sheave 32 rotates in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the car 14. That is, when the car 14 is raised and lowered, the speed limiter rope 34 moves in a loop, and the speed limiter sheave 32 rotates at a rotational speed corresponding to the travel speed of the car 14. A car movement amount detector 40 is provided at the speed limiter sheave 32, and generates a signal corresponding to the movement of the car 14. As the car movement amount detector 40, for example, an encoder or a resolver which generates a signal corresponding to the rotation of the speed limiter sheave 32, or the like is used. The car movement amount detector 40 can also be provided at the hoisting machine 4 as a device which generates a signal corresponding to the rotation of the drive sheave 6 of the hoisting machine 4. The car movement amount detector 40 is an example of a car state detector.

[0032] Further, the car movement amount detector 40, the detected member 24, and the landing position detector 26 as the car state detector can be replaced with other known structures. For example, these structures can be replaced with a structure in which a tape capable of determining an absolute position in the hoistway 2 is provided in the hoistway 2, and reading is performed by a tape reading sensor provided to the car 14.

[0033] The operation of the car 14 is controlled by a control device 60. The control device 60 detects the position and the car speed of the car 14 based on a signal from the car movement amount detector 40. Further, the control device 60 performs a releveling operation when the car 14 is stopped at a landing floor in a door-open state. The control device 60 corrects the displacement of the car floor in the upward and downward direction due to the boarding and alighting of passengers by the releveling operation to return the car floor to a leveled position.

[0034] The door-open travel protection device 50 is used to restrict the door-open travel of the car 14 while the car door 20 or the landing door 22 is in a door-open state. Signals output from the landing position detector 26 and the car movement amount detector 40 are sent to the door-open travel protection device 50. A door-open permissible region in which movement of the car 14 is permitted while the door-open state is maintained is set in the door-open travel protection device 50. In the present embodiment, the range of the door-open permissible region is the same as that of the releveling region. When the car 14 leaves the door-open permissible region while the releveling operation of the car 14 is performed in the door-open state, the door-open travel protection device 50 stops the car 14 by cutting off the power supply to the hoisting machine 4 by a relay or the like and applying the brake device 8. Further, when the car speed becomes equal to or higher than the monitoring reference speed while the releveling operation of the car 14 is performed in the door-open state, the door-open travel protection device 50 stops the car 14 by cutting off the power supply to the hoisting machine 4 by a relay or the like not shown and applying the brake device 8.

[0035] 2. Features of the elevator device

[0036] The door-open travel protection device 50 in the elevator device 100 sets the range of the door-open permissible region to be variable depending on the car speed. Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the door-open permissible region of a comparative example. Figure 3 FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an outline of the door-open permissible region of the present embodiment. In Figure 2 and Figure 3 the vertical axis shows the floor position of the car 14 on the hoistway 2, and the horizontal axis shows the monitoring level of the car speed of the car 14.

[0037] In the comparative example shown in Figure 2 , the range of the door-open permissible region is set to be constant regardless of the speed in the range up to the monitoring reference speed. In contrast to this, Figure 3The range of the door opening permission area of the illustrated embodiment is set to decrease in proportion to the car speed within the range up to the monitoring reference speed.

[0038] In addition, the amount of decrease of the door opening permission area can also be set using a value obtained by multiplying the maximum transmission delay time by the car speed. The maximum transmission delay time here is the maximum value of the delay time until the door open / close signal transmitted from the car door closed switch 52 is received by the door opening travel protection device 50. The maximum transmission delay time is a value determined in accordance with the transmission path and the performance of various constituent parts, and for example, a value measured in advance through a transmission test or the like or a design value on the system design is used. The value obtained by multiplying the maximum transmission delay time by the car speed corresponds to the distance moved during the maximum transmission delay time at that car speed. If the amount of decrease of the door opening permission area is set only in accordance with the car speed, there is a concern that the car position during the releveling operation will exceed the range of the door opening permission area depending on the size of the maximum transmission delay time, resulting in a decrease in serviceability. By using the maximum transmission delay time and the car speed for the setting of the amount of decrease of the door opening permission area, it is possible to set so that the car position which varies depending on the size of the maximum transmission delay time will not exceed the range of the door opening permission area during the releveling operation. Thus, it is possible to eliminate the performance constraint of the releveling operation, maximizing the service performance during the releveling operation.

[0039] Figure 4 is a timing chart showing various states of the car in the case where the door opening travel is detected. Hereinafter, the features of the door opening travel protection device 50 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the timing chart of Figure 4

[0040] In the timing chart of Figure 4 , (A) shows the door open / close signal transmitted from the car door closed switch 52. (B) shows the door open / close signal received by the door opening travel protection device 50. The door open / close signal of (A) indicates the signal before transmission to the door opening travel protection device 50, and is therefore hereinafter referred to as the "pre-transmission door open / close signal". In addition, the door open / close signal of (B) indicates the door open / close signal after transmission to the door opening travel protection device 50, and is therefore hereinafter referred to as the "post-transmission door open / close signal". (C) shows the car speed, and (D) shows the car position. In addition, in (D), the door opening permission area of the comparative example and the door opening permission area of the embodiment are respectively described, and the car position of the comparative example and the car position of the embodiment are respectively described.

[0041] ​At time tl, the car 14 stops at the landing floor of the landing position in the closed door state. Therefore, both the front door open / close signal and the rear door open / close signal are "ON", the car speed is 0, and the car position is the landing position. At the time tl elapsed, the car 14 starts to travel in the upward direction. Thereby, the car speed starts to increase, and in conjunction therewith, the range of the door open permission area of the embodiment starts to decrease. In addition, the range of the door open permission area of the comparative example does not change according to the car speed, and thus is constant at all times.

[0042] At time t2, the car door 20 becomes the open door state, and thereby the front door open / close signal becomes "OFF". However, since there is a transmission delay in the safety communication path 56, the rear door open / close signal remains in the "ON" state.

[0043] At time t3, the car position of the car 14 exceeds the range of the door open permission area of the embodiment. However, since the rear door open / close signal transmitted to the open door travel protection device 50 at this time is still "ON", braking of the car 14 is not performed.

[0044] At time t4, the rear door open / close signal transmitted to the open door travel protection device 50 becomes "OFF", and it is determined in the open door travel protection device 50 that the door is open. At time t4, the car position of the car 14 exceeds the range of the door open permission area of the embodiment. Therefore, the open door travel protection device 50 determines that the car 14 in the open door state is traveling outside the range of the door open permission area, and thereby transmits a braking instruction for stopping the car 14 to the control device 60. The control device 60 receives the braking instruction, and causes the brake device 8 to act, and starts braking of the car 14. After time t4, the car 14 gradually decelerates, and the car speed becomes 0.

[0045] In contrast, in the case of the range of the door open permission area of the comparative example, at time t4, the car position of the car 14 does not exceed the range of the door open permission area of the comparative example. Therefore, even if it is determined that the door is open at time t4, the open door travel protection device 50 does not transmit a braking instruction for stopping the car 14 to the control device 60 at time t4. Then, at time t5, when the car position of the car 14 exceeds the range of the door open permission area of the comparative example, the open door travel protection device 50 transmits a braking instruction for stopping the car 14 to the control device 60.

[0046] Thus, in a case where the range of the door-open permission zone is used, it is possible to start braking at an earlier timing after receiving the door open / close signal compared to a case where the range of the door-open permission zone of the comparative example is used, and thus it is possible to shorten the moving distance of the car 14 in the door-open travel. As a result, it is easy to secure the distance from the upper portion of the landing door 22 to the floor of the car or the distance from the lower portion of the landing door 22 to the upper portion of the car entrance in the door-open travel. Thus, it is possible to provide the elevator device 100 that is advantageous in terms of safety monitoring by the door-open travel protection device 50.

[0047] In addition, as long as the range of the door-open permission zone is set so that the range thereof decreases in accordance with the speed, there is no limitation on the setting method and the setting range. For example, the range of the door-open permission zone can be set based on the following consideration. Figure 5 is a graph for explaining the relationship between the braking distance and the distance that should be secured in a case where the car 14 is subjected to the door-open travel in the upward direction. In addition, the same applies to a case where the car 14 is subjected to the door-open travel in the downward direction. When the car 14 travels at the maximum speed that does not exceed the monitoring reference speed, in a case where the car position moves to the uppermost position, the signal on the door-open side of the car door closing switch 52 is detected at the boundary position of the door-open permission zone in a case where the car speed is 0. Thus, the door-open travel protection device 50 detects the door-open travel, and the braking device 8 of the hoisting machine 4 is caused to operate by the control device 60, and the car 14 is braked. At this time, the range of the door-open permission zone in a case where the car speed is 0 is set in such a manner that the distance D4 (=D1-(D2+D3)) obtained by subtracting the total of the distance D2 from the lower portion of the landing door 22 to the end portion of the door-open permission zone in a case where the car speed is 0 and the braking distance D3 from the distance D1 between the upper portion of the landing door 22 and the lower portion of the landing door 22 is the distance that should be secured in the door-open travel. This distance D4 is a distance that does not lead to a serious accident such as a person in the car 14 being caught. The range of the door-open permission zone is set so that the range thereof decreases from the set range of the door-open permission zone in a case where the car speed is 0 as the speed becomes larger. According to this setting method of the door-open permission zone, it is possible to reliably secure the distance D4 in a case where the door-open travel protection device 50 detects the door-open travel in a range where the car 14 does not exceed the monitoring reference speed.

[0048] 3. Specific processing performed in the door-open travel protection device 50 of the embodiment

[0049] The door-open travel protection device 50 has a processor and a storage device. The processor executes various processes. The processor is, for example, a microcomputer. Various information is stored in the storage device. As the storage device, a volatile memory and a non-volatile memory, and the like are exemplified. Various programs are stored in the storage device. By the processor executing the various programs, the function of the door-open travel protection device 50 is realized. Further, various data is stored in the storage device.

[0050] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a routine of a process executed in the door-open travel protection device 50 of the embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 The routine shown is executed by the processor of the door-open travel protection device 50 in a case where the program is executed.

[0051] In Figure 6 In step S100, it is determined whether or not the transmitted door open / close signal indicating the door-open state is received. As a result, in a case where the determination is not established, the process of the present routine ends, and in a case where the determination is established, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0052] In step S102, the car position of the car 14 and the car speed are calculated using the signal received from the car movement amount detector 40. In the next step S104, in accordance with Figure 3 The range of the door-open permission region is set to a range corresponding to the calculated car speed using the relationship between the car speed and the door-open permission region shown.

[0053] In the next step S106, it is determined whether or not the car position is included in the range of the door-open permission region. As a result, in a case where the determination is not established, the process of the present routine ends, and in a case where the determination is established, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0054] In step S108, a brake instruction signal for driving the brake device 8 to stop the car 14 is transmitted to the control device 60.

[0055] 4. Modified example

[0056] The elevator device 100 of the embodiment can also be in a manner modified as described below.

[0057] The door-open travel protection device 50 and the control device 60 can also be configured as one control device.

[0058] Figure 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of the hardware resources of the door-open travel protection device 50. In Figure 7 In the example shown, the door-open travel protection device 50 has, for example, a processing circuit 508 including a processor 502, a storage device 504, and a dedicated hardware 506.Figure 7 An example of a part of the function of the open door traveling protection device 50 being implemented by the dedicated hardware 506 is shown. The entire function of the open door traveling protection device 50 can also be implemented by the dedicated hardware 506. As the dedicated hardware 506, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof can be used.

Claims

1. An elevator device, wherein, The elevator device includes: Door opening and closing detection device, which detects the opening and closing status of elevator doors; A braking device that brakes the movement of the elevator car; and The door-opening travel protection device sends a braking instruction signal to the braking device to stop the car when the signal indicating the opening / closing state transmitted serially from the door opening / closing detection device is a signal indicating the door's open state and the car position deviates from the permitted opening area for the door to be open. The door opening protection device is configured to reduce the range of the permitted door opening area proportionally to the car speed.

2. The elevator device according to claim 1, wherein, The elevator system also includes a car status detector, which detects the amount of movement or absolute position of the car. The door-opening travel protection device uses the signal received from the car status detector to calculate the car speed.

3. The elevator device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The elevator doors include landing doors located at the landings and car doors located in the car. The door opening / closing detection device includes: The landing door closing switch detects the open / closed state of the landing door; and The car door closing switch detects the open / closed state of the car door.

4. An elevator device, wherein, The elevator device includes: Door opening and closing detection device, which detects the opening and closing status of elevator doors; A braking device that brakes the movement of the elevator car; and The door-opening travel protection device sends a braking instruction signal to the braking device to stop the car when the signal indicating the opening / closing state transmitted serially from the door opening / closing detection device is a signal indicating the door's open state and the car position deviates from the permitted opening area for the door to be open. The door-opening travel protection device is configured to reduce the range of the door-opening permitted area based on a value obtained by multiplying the maximum transmission delay time by the car speed. The maximum transmission delay time is the maximum time required until the signal of the opening / closing state transmitted from the door opening / closing detection device is received by the door-opening travel protection device.

5. The elevator device according to claim 4, wherein, The elevator system also includes a car status detector, which detects the amount of movement or absolute position of the car. The door-opening travel protection device uses the signal received from the car status detector to calculate the car speed.

6. The elevator device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein, The elevator doors include landing doors located at the landings and car doors located in the car. The door opening / closing detection device includes: The landing door closing switch detects the open / closed state of the landing door; and The car door closing switch detects the open / closed state of the car door.

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